Sarah Bolger leads tremendously, though 'A Good Woman Is Hard to Find' doesn't quite click for me.

In my opinion, this film simply tries too hard to be shocking. I like the idea of the premise and the excellent cinematography but everything else feels forced. E.g. the main event that Bolger takes part in is a rather big jump considering the reasoning she has for doing it.

What I'm alluding to above involves Andrew Simpson's Tito. He is clearly a bad guy and deserves kickback, but what Sarah does is a tad over the top; that's what I mean by the film tries to shock too much. The lead-up and conclusion also feel too manufactured.

The villains here are pretty poor, too. Miller, portrayed by Edward Hogg, is never all that frightening with his soft voice and overly-written dialogue, which attempts to make him some sort of wordsmith - to me, he just comes across as that kid in school who thinks he is a gangster.

A lot of the other characters are just there to antagonise Sarah, the shop assistant and police officers being the prime examples.

I realise I am kinda shitting on this film, perhaps a tad too much. It isn't terrible at all, but there's a massive missed opportunity here; especially given Bolger's performance and the way it's all shot.

Coupled with Richard C. Bell's cinematography, some striking shots of Belfast, stylish neon-coloured lighting and a chilling score from Matthew Pusti, 'A Good Woman is Hard to Find' is a moody addition to the crime revenge film genre and an impressive, distinctive showcase for its star.
- Jake Watt

Read Jake's full article...
https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-a-good-woman-is-hard-to-find-hard-boiled-crime-and-punishment-in-belfast